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Tuesday, May 16, 2017

As You Are Adoption Movie Review

When Karen and Tom move in
together, their teenage sons Jack and Mark become stepbrothers of sorts. Karen
and Tom split up due in large part to Tom’s anger, which rips Jack and Mark
apart. Jack and Mark are questioning their sexuality; they each date Sarah, and
also experiment with each other.

(SPOILER ALERT) Jack feels betrayed when Mark starts
dating Sarah; he tries to seduce Mark, but when his efforts fail, he and Mark
go out into the woods, and he kills him. Much of the film is told in retrospect
as various characters are being interviewed by a detective. (END SPOILER)

The Adoption Connection

For a short while, Karen, Tom,
Jack and Mark form a blended family.

Strong Points

As You Are can provide parents
with insights into the possible emotional experiences of teens who are
exploring their sexuality, being bullied, experimenting with marijuana, or who
are in abusive or tense homes. After watching it, parents could have some idea
of what their children and their children’s friends might be feeling and might
be experiencing.

Challenges (SPOILERS AHEAD)

I found the film to be
uncomfortable. It’s well-acted, and it accomplishes something important in that
it does capture realistic experiences for some teens; however, it’s hard to
enjoy a film that ends with one teen murdering another. It’s also difficult to
watch Tom striking his teenage son. It could also be uncomfortable for many viewers
to see two pseudo-stepbrothers kissing passionately. One character brutally
kills a squirrel for fun. Tom swears at Karen. Tom also calls the long-haired,
slender Jack a “girl” and says that Jack should be in the Marines to become
more like a man.

Recommendations

As You Are isn’t an easy film to watch, and it
doesn’t seem like a good fit for teens, and certainly not for kids. For
parents, it’s probably not a movie to watch for fun, but it could have value as
a source of exposure to real issues that many teens experience.

Questions for Discussion

How does Tom’s anger impact his
son?

Which of Jack’s and Mark’s
experiences have you experienced? Which of their experiences do you believe are
common for teens, and which are rarer?